aNewDomain.net sports — No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Auburn will play for the BCS national title January 6 in Pasadena, California. The SEC is going for its eighth straight national championship. Meanwhile, our Kerry Kinsey can’t believe people are still talking about the game that kept Alabama from hoisting another crystal football, but there they are. Kerry Kinsey would like them all to please shut up.

A week ago armchair experts were Sunday-morning quarterbacking University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s decision to go for a last second field goal in the Iron Bowl. Auburn’s Chris Davis returned that missed field goal attempt 109-yards for a game-winning touchdown. Here’s an interesting angle that you probably haven’t seen. Check out the video below.

Video courtesy: Auburn Athletic Department

The call by Saban to have Adam Griffith try a 57-yard field goal was the right move. If he hits it, it would have broken a 28-28 tie, and that’s your ballgame. Then we’d be talking about the Florida State University Seminoles playing Alabama in the BSC National Championship Game, instead of FSU and Auburn.

I waited for another “Kick Six” in the SEC and Big Ten title games. Insert laugh track.

I mean, think about it. We’ve had more of those plays in one season than we’ve had in almost 50 years. One of them coming on what some have deemed as a controversial call by Saban.

“I can’t wait to skewer him”, said the Atlanta sports radio co-host. He was talking about getting an opportunity to “pile on” in the criticism of Saban. Like he needs it.

Another sports talk guy, a Windy City transplant I should add, went on to rip Alabama fans “who were crying” after their loss to Auburn in that bitter rivalry. Harsh.

The Crimson Tide failed to execute — plain and simple. And not just on the missed field goal. On that play Saban said it looked like the right side of the field goal team didn’t get wide to prevent the return. Saban said Griffith had hit 60-yarders in practice, so he knew he had the leg for it.

But how can you second guess the man who is arguably to the best coach in college football right now? He’s won three national championships in four years. Even if Alabama doesn’t make the long kick, do you know how rare a runback for a touchdown is after a missed field goal?

It’s only happened four times in the last four decades in an FBS (formerly Division I) matchup.

The first one took place in 1966. California defensive back Don Guest returned a missed field goal attempt 108-yards against Washington State. Guest, who is now a Santa Rosa, CA orthodontist, uploaded the video. In the age of Facebook and YouTube there’s nothing wrong with a little self-promotion.

Two years later Clemson’s Richie Luzzi did the same at Georgia. Luzzi was eight yards deep in the end zone when he caught a 47-yard missed field goal attempt and ran it back for a score. NCAA records don’t recognize anything over 100 yards, but it’s still the longest play in Clemson history.

It wouldn’t happen again for 45 years. But as you can see in the video below, earlier this season, LSU’s Odell Beckham Jr. returned a 59-yard missed field goal attempt for a touchdown against Alabama-Birmingham. Beckham caught the ball nine yards deep in the end zone before going coast-to-coast. By the way, in 1988 I was in Waco, Texas covering Beckham’s father Odell Beckham Sr. He ran the ball for the Marshall Mavericks against Dallas Carter in the Texas State 5A Playoffs. But I digress.

Now back to the Windy City sports guy who chided Bama fans for crying after a loss? Please. When I was younger, my eyes welled up one time after my Atlanta Falcons dropped a playoff game to the Dallas Cowboys. And when you pull for Atlanta professional teams you’ll cry a river of tears and them some.

Based in Atlanta, Kerry Kinsey is the sports editor at aNewDomain.net. He’s an Emmy-nominated and seven-time AP Award-winning television sports and news anchor/reporter. Kerry has worked in many TV markets including Houston, Philadelphia, Louisville, and Salt Lake City. He’s covered major sporting events, such as the NCAA Final Four, the World Series, the Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500, the Kentucky Derby, the PGA Championship, and the Heisman Trophy presentation. As an “Army Brat,” Kerry lived in Japan, Hawaii, Texas, Louisiana, and Georgia. Kerry is passionate about sports and in particular his Atlanta and Georgia sports teams—Falcons, Braves, Hawks, and Bulldogs. His email address is Kerry@aNewDomain.net.

13 Comments

If you watched the game, the ‘Bama players lined up for the field goal and only thought about making it, and if they missed it they knew there was overtime. That was the “look” they had. It’s typical. Alabama didn’t even have fast players on the field at the time. Poor execution and the inferior team was able to capitalize. Props to Auburn for stepping up and not slacking off on ANY aspect of the game. ‘Bama fans should acknowledge that their players took 1 play off.

Have to agree with Ant here….K-man
stop pimping for Bama….this will go down as one of the all-time worst
coaching decisions…ever…Saban’s gigantic ego sabotaged any chance his
players had to win this game. The smart play would have been to throw a Hail
Mary in the end zone…Auburn has a poor pass defense. Miss the
pass…go win it overtime….the Auburn defense was gassed! This was a very
winnable game for Bama….instead Saban provided a highlight that Auburn will
replay again and again for generations to come. Idiot play by an obnoxious
coach.

Kerry are you having Saban’s love child? Give us a break. Nick Saban is the Hall and Oates of coaching…his best year’s are behind him. A 57 yard field goal is the last move a desperate coach who has run out of ideas. What happened was the bully got punched in the face by a fired up Auburn team…bad move by a scared coach go Tigers!!!!!!!!!

Fans get a LIfe??? Kerry maybe you should so you won’t have to be Saban’s personal press agent. Kicking a 57 yard field goal when Bama could have won it overtime is a sign of coach who want’s to get home early so he could touch up his roots. And what is Nicky’s tint these days early morning peach or sun kissed walnut?

Kerry we have a life…it’s at Pasadena playing for the National Championship. Too bad you won’t be there. But you can watch it on the RCA black and white in the double-wide…yes? The Alabama Crimson Tide was denied a shot at an unprecedented third straight national title because the so called greatest coach in America got out coached. Live with it…we can and will…after all we have a life!

Give me a break. Alabama missed four field goals — FOUR! — and passed on a chip shot that could’ve given the Tide a 10-point lead with 5 1-2 minutes remaining. I guess that was too complicated for the greatest coach in America.

First and foremost, why hasn’t your idol Nick Saban recruited a reliable field goal kicker? It’s not like this hasn’t happened before. Saban, almost single handly blew another national title during the 2011 season because his team missed four field goals in an overtime loss to LSU. See what happens when you cut corners. Live by the sword die by the sword.

At Alabama and LSU, Saban is 0-6 against Auburn teams that would finish with nine or more wins. Alabama, with and before Saban, has lost its last nine Iron Bowls against Auburn teams that would win nine or more games. Alabama beats Auburn only when the Tigers are down. Even with Saban the greatest coach in America on the sideline. Kerry you get a life…. you’ll have more time to bone up on college football stats.

How can you second guess the man who is arguably best coach in college football???Pretty easy actually. A 57-yard field goal, has only been made twice in Alabama football history. Saban , brought in a freshman who had never made a game kick longer than 40 yards. Oh yeah…the best coach in college football…that would be Auburn’s HC..Gus Malzahn…who unlike Saban doesn’t need to get a life…he’s too busy preparing to win the NC !

Knew he had the leg for it????. I’m sure the kid makes 60-yarders at practice — so what? I’m sure punt returners catch balls behind their backs in practice and receivers make one-handed catches in practice and running backs make perfect throws on trick plays in practice. Again: So what? Surely, Saban could not have thought a freshman making 60-yard kicks in practice had anything to do with a 57-yard kick at Auburn with one second left and a chance to win the Iron Bowl. Dude sounds like to me you were suffereing from too much CFL radiation when you wrote this….get some sun and maybe a more rational line of thought.

This Bama team doesn’t line up and hit you in the mouth like in my day. Forget the trenches the OG might mess up his fake tattoo.! A 57-yard kick??? Are you serious? He had as much chance of hitting that as Saban dropping 50 pounds from his ego. The Tide HC was looking for shortcuts, and found one straight on the off ramp to Hell…now known as the Allstate Sugar Bowl Bonus : Saban will have plenty of time to work on his Solar Dimensions Tan….will you be joining him Kerry?